Megatrends

The most influential Megatrends set to shape the world through 2030, identified by Euromonitor International, help businesses better anticipate market developments and lead change for their industries.

Butter and Spreads in the Netherlands

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Executive Summary

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PROSPECTS

Butter continues to benefit from healthier and more natural image

Following a worldwide campaign by the milk industry in 2008 to educated consumers on the healthier natural aspects of butter, demand for this product has continued to gain momentum in the Netherlands. Whereas traditionally, the Dutch used to associate butter with unhealthy animal fats, this image has shifted with an increasing number of consumers perceiving it to be a healthier more appetising alternative to margarine, with the latter continuing to suffer from declining popularity, as they believe it to be more processed and containing unhealthy trans fats.

Contrary to the ongoing demand for butter, retail volume sales of margarine and spreads continued to decline in 2019. Traditionally, margarine would be spread on bread, with butter used more for cooking, a habit engrained in the 1990s when it was suggested that plant-based spreads were healthier to consume, whereas butter was perceived to be more of a luxury which was occasionally used to eat with bread.

Rising unit price with increasing demand for organic butter and improvements in margarine

While butter and spreads continued to record negative volume growth in 2019, current value sales recorded an ongoing positive performance supported by the increasing unit price. This is being driven by significant price rises of butter due to rising demand and increases in raw materials from 2017 onwards.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Blue Band and Becel hold established appeal but butter offers greater growth potential

While Royal FrieslandCampina NV and private label lines AH and Jumbo dominated sales of butter in 2019, margarine and spreads brands Blue Band and Becel continued to enjoy greater shelf space in the country’s major grocery retailers. The brands have a long-standing presence in the Netherlands with Becel being launched by Unilever in the 1960s, and an even longer history for Blue Band.

Upfield launches new Becel line to attract health-conscious consumers

To improve margarine’s unfavourable image as a less healthy alternative to butter, major producer Upfield is investing in product development to reposition its main brands such as Becel as plant-based options and capitalising on the health and wellness trend, with increasing popularity towards a plant-based diet for consumers who are lactose-intolerant or vegans. In 2019, Upfield launched Becel Pure, a 100% plant-based product made from a blend of rapeseed, sunflower, shea, linseed and coconut oil.

Van De Koe offers organic herb butter as point of differentiation

Natural produce brand Van De Koe launched an artisanal herb butter in the Netherlands towards the end of the review period, made from milk produced from farms that adopt meadow- and bird-friendly approaches in their farming practices. The founders initially hand-picked herbs such as sorrel, nettles and wild garlic.

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FOODSERVICE

Sales to Foodservice

Dutch consumers demand both convenience and healthy meal solutions, encouraging foodservice suppliers to adapt to their offers accordinglyRising health consciousness impacts both retail and foodserviceScope to expand for suppliers with rising demand for meat-free meal solutions

Consumer Foodservice

Delivery platforms address demand for both convenience and healthy meal solutions expanding their target audienceFoodservice players must adapt to a wider variety of demands from different consumer profilesSupermarkets expand their services to offer customers greater experience